Despite counter-offensive

Ukrainian army has to abandon village after village

Ukrainian soldier in the midst of destruction

(Bild: AP/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Russian troops have been slowly advancing in Ukraine since the beginning of the year. The Ukrainian defense has to give up village after village. Inadequately trained and equipped units have had to enter the battle.

Among other things, the blockade of US military aid in Congress has contributed to this. For months, the Republicans blocked the delivery of weapons, equipment and ammunition. During this time, the Ukrainian army had used up practically all of its own available reserves in order to hold the front line, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said.

Important fortress lost
This led to the loss of the important fortress of Avdiivka, which had been developed into a bulwark against the expected Russian attack since 2014. This was the only place where the Ukrainian armed forces had underground defensive positions in many places. 

Another challenge for the Ukrainian soldiers is a new "secret weapon" of the enemy. Russian aircraft are dropping glide bombs many kilometers away from the actual frontline positions. These fighter jets are therefore out of reach for Ukrainian air defenses. Glide bombs were further developed during the war so that they could steer into the target with a reasonable degree of precision. They are also said to have helped destroy the fortifications of Avdiivka.

A Ukrainian soldier

(Bild: AP/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A destroyed church

(Bild: AP/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Russian soldiers

(Bild: AP/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service)

Evacuation of remaining residents

(Bild: AP/Ukraine‘s Emergency Service)

Forces diverted, but not withdrawn
In most cases, what the Russian troops have won still resembles human dwellings. In the conquered villages, for example, there are ruins, houses bombed to heaps of stones and scorched earth.

A surprise attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on the Russian border area near Kursk (see video above) has not brought any relief, said the chief military coordinator of German aid to Ukraine, Christian Freuding. The opponent in the war has diverted forces, but has not withdrawn any combat troops from the Donbass. This is where the defense lines are currently located.

"Russia has its own math"
"If we, with our Western attitude, with our Western view, have always thought that Russian society can only tolerate a certain number of victims, then we must now recognize that Russia has its own mathematics," said Freuding.

The Ukrainians are also taking a "deliberately high risk". They are heading for the third, bitter winter of war. With additional air defense - financed by the EU and GZ, among others - the defense against Russian attacks on infrastructure and energy supply should soon improve.